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John Cobb

(1899–1952)Rival of the two Campbells, father and son, in the pursuit of speed records on land and water. He was the first to drive at more than 400 mph, reaching 649kph/403mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in 1947. His average over the required two measured miles was below 400 mph (634kph/394mph), and it was this which was registered as the official record; it lasted until improved on in 1964 by Donald *Campbell. Cobb died when his jet-propelled speedboat disintegrated at more than 320kph/200mph on Loch Ness.